October 2008 Serving the communities along the Biscayne Corridor, including Arch Creek East, Bay Point, Bayside, Biscayne Park, Belle Meade, Buena Vista, Design District, Downtown, Edgewater, El Portal, Hibiscus Island, Keystone Point, Miami Shores, Morningside, North Bay Island, North Miami, Oakland Grove, Palm Grove, Palm Island, Sans Souci, Shorecrest, Star Island, Wynwood, and Venetian Islands www.BiscayneTimes.com Volume 6, Issue 8 DISTANT SHORES Biscayne Bay may be our area’s most prominent feature, but just try getting close to it BY ROB JORDAN Photos by Silvia Ros he only sound in the world, it Florida Circumnavigational Saltwater River State Park? Not just get to the swimming, loitering, and a host of other seems, is the rhythmic splashing of Paddling Trail, overseeing a segment of water, but get in it to cool off, swim, innocent activities. As a 2006 study by Tpaddle on sun-speckled water. Boat the statewide trail that stretches from launch a boat, or just float around. the Trust for Public Land put it: “...A traffic is light, the wind low on this week- John Pennekamp State Park to the north- The waterfront, after all, is synony- surprising number of South Florida resi- day morning. A silent current propels us ern end of Biscayne Bay. He had good- mous with Miami. It is one of the main dents rarely encounter the beautiful north as we paddle our brightly colored naturedly agreed to come on this some- reasons millions flock here for vacations waters that characterize our community.” kayaks along downtown Miami’s bayfront. what quixotic mission. and new lives. It is a point of meditation, “Who is the waterfront for?” asks Rick Poston, a third-generation We are looking for portals into a source of sustenance literally and spiri- Greg Bush, a founder and current vice Miamian whose grandfather helped build Miami’s soul. More specifically, we are tually, an ecological wonderland. president of programs for the Urban Henry Flagler’s Royal Palm Hotel at the looking for waterfront access points. But for many Miamians, perhaps Environment League of Greater Miami. mouth of the Miami River, is my travel Where and how can the average person most, the waterfront remains out of “Is it for the people with the fancy con- companion. It’s his 66th birthday. A vol- get to the bay at any point along the ten- reach, concealed behind the walls of dos that overlook the water?” Bush unteer with the Florida Paddling Trails mile stretch from downtown’s high-rise condominiums and private homes, or Association, Poston is a steward for the canyons to the mangrove forests of Oleta posted with signs prohibiting fishing, Continued on page 14 Dining Guide Community News Park Patrol Our Correspondents Miami’s biggest Boulevard Miami’s oldest Why Liberty and best listings. construction cemetery is City is not was a bad no picnic. Page 50 Cuba. dream. Page 40 Page 20 Page 26 2 Biscayne Times • www.BiscayneTimes.com October 2008 October 2008 Biscayne Times • www.BiscayneTimes.com 3 C OMMENTARY: PUBLISHER’ S L ETTER PO Box 370566, Miami, FL 33137 LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Jack King: Angry Rants Mr. King’s “Lessons Unlearned” is Member of the nothing but an angry rant from a man Candidate Forums Florida Press Association and Visceral Hatred? with visceral hate for anything and any- Jack King’s opinion piece “Four n anticipation of the November 4 one he disagrees with. Biscayne Times www.BiscayneTimes.com Decades of Lessons Unlearned” general election, two candidate readers deserve better. (September 2008) concludes with this Iforums have been organized for Susannah Worth PUBLISHER & EDITOR line: “This country needs Barack the benefit of Biscayne Corridor vot- Jim Mullin Miami Beach [email protected] Obama.” But he never really tells us ers. On Wednesday, October 29, the why. All he writes is that he doesn’t like two candidates vying for the state INTERNS the current administration, he doesn’t Fleeing Palm Bay Towers senate from District 35, Democrat Andrew Leins think we are doing the right things, and Dan Gelber and Republican Dean [email protected] Was the Smartest Thing believes Americans aren’t working Santoro, will speak and take ques- Erin Polla We Ever Did together. Well, most of us are working tions. Also on that date, the four can- [email protected] My wife and I owned an apartment at together, but perhaps not in some left- didates for Clerk of the Circuit Court CONTRIBUTORS Palm Bay Towers for a few years, and it wing communal manner that would suit — Darrin McGillis, Alfredo Perez, Victor Barrenchea, Pamela Robin Brandt, was the most terrifying living experi- Terence Cantarella, Bill Citara, Wendy Mr. King better. incumbent Harvey Ruvin, and Julio ence I’d had since my freshmen year in Doscher-Smith, Kathy Glasgow, Jim W. What he fails to explain is why Valido — will do likewise. Harper, Lisa Hartman, Jen Karetnick, Jack college, more than 20 years ago. We Barack Obama is qualified to be On Thursday, October 30, candidates King, Derek McCann, Frank Rollason, were harassed so much from the condo President of the United States. The for county property appraiser (a first Silvia Ros, Jeff Shimonski commandos at Palm Bay that we decid- U.S. Senate had been in session only for Miami-Dade), will appear. They are ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE ed to sell our apartment. It was a diffi- 143 days between his taking office as Pedro J. Garcia, Eddie Lewis, Gwen Marc Ruehle cult task just to be on the elevator with a senator and declaring himself a Margolis, and Jim Shedd. [email protected] such challenging people. candidate for president. As the editor The forums will take place at OFFICE MANAGER I found Rob Jordan’s article ironic of his law school’s review, he never American Legion Post 29 and will Wilmer Ametin (“Up Close and Personal — and wrote anything for publication. In begin at 6:30 p.m. The post is locat- [email protected] Vicious,” September 2008) because the fact as a professor of law, he never ed on 64th Street east of Biscayne ART DIRECTOR condo commandos referred to our two wrote anything. Boulevard, close to the bay. For Marcy Mock rescued, ten-pound poodles as vicious, His job as “community organizer” more information, contact Bob [email protected] but the article showed that the people (also known as “outside agitator”) was Powers, president of the Palm Grove ADVERTISING DESIGN were the vicious ones, and our dogs really just leading others to rely on gov- Neighborhood Association and Image Tech Studios were scared of them. forum host, at 305-299-0052. www.imagetechstudios.com ernment handouts. This is not the résumé of a leader, nor is it preparation — Jim Mullin The Biscayne Times welcomes proposals Continued on page 6 for articles and press releases. Submitted for being president. material may be edited for length, clarity, and content. All submitted material becomes the property of The Biscayne Times. Please be ABLE OF ONTENTS sure to include your name, address and tele- T C phone number in all correspondence. All articles, photos, and artwork in the COVER STORY POLICE REPORTS Biscayne Times are copyrighted by Biscayne Distant Shores..................................................................................1 Biscayne Crime Beat ....................................................................32 Media, LLC. Any duplication or reprinting with- out authorized written consent from the pub- lisher is prohibited. COMMENTARY ART & CULTURE The Biscayne Times is published the first Feedback..........................................................................................4 Female but Maybe Not Feminist.................................................. 34 week of each month. We are hand delivered Miami’s King.................................................................................10 to all the homes along both sides of Biscayne Art Listings................................................................................... 36 Boulevard from downtown and the Venetian Word on the Street.........................................................................12 Culture Briefs ............................................................................... 39 Islands to Arch Creek. The neighborhoods we serve include: Arch OUR SPONSORS Creek East, Bayside, Biscayne Park, Belle PARK PATROL BizBuzz ..........................................................................................8 Meade, Buena Vista, Davis Harbor, Design Miami City Cemetery: Dying To Get In ...................................... 40 District, Edgewater, El Portal, Keystone Point, Advertiser Directory....................................................................... 8 Magnolia Park, Miami Shores, Morningside, North Miami, Oakland Grove, Omni, Palm COLUMNISTS Grove, Sans Souci, Shorecrest, Wynwood, NEIGHBORHOOD CORRESPONDENTS Kids and the City: A New Take on Book-of-the-Month Club ..... 42 and Venetian Islands. In addition we are dis- Kathy Glasgow: Cuba’s Open Doors ........................................... 20 tributed to select businesses in Buena Vista Tech Talk: Mac vs. PC — Making the Switch............................. 43 Jen Karetnick: A Country Club in Terminal Decline ...................22 West, Little River Business District, Design Pawsitively Pets: One Command Solves the Problem .................44 District and Wynwood. Frank Rollason: Hair in the Hood................................................ 24 Harper’s Environment: Kill Baby Kill......................................... 46 Advertise!